


Wander Thirst

by NikaWithSpice



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff, M/M, RoyEd OTPoly, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25296475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikaWithSpice/pseuds/NikaWithSpice
Summary: Bonus Roll 1 for the RoyEd OTPoly for Team Alchemists!Prompt: Ed and Roy go on a road trip. Use at least 3 songs to move the plot. Songs: “99 bottles”, Dance Me to the End of Love, You are my Sunshine
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23
Collections: RoyEd OTPoly 2020





	Wander Thirst

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus Roll 1 for the RoyEd OTPoly for Team Alchemists! 
> 
> Prompt: Ed and Roy go on a road trip. Use at least 3 songs to move the plot. Songs: “99 bottles”, Dance Me to the End of Love, You are my Sunshine
> 
> House level: 1200 to 2500 words

The train rattles on through the countryside, the vivid gold of the swaying wheat stalks blurring into vibrant green fields of corn and back again, and Edward never looks up from the yellowed pages of the ancient text held carefully in his hands, no matter how many times Roy tries to coax him into a conversation. For one generally so full of energy, Edward is remaining remarkably subdued.

Perhaps he is simply unused to traveling without a destination in mind; Edward has never done well without a purpose, a mission.

Perhaps he has used up all of his wanderlust in the years of his service to the military.

Roy is mostly content to split his time between staring out the window and staring at Edward, comparing his golden hair to the waving cornsilk and wheat, his eyes to the blistering heat of the sun. Mostly. The boredom overtakes him occasionally, such as now, and his voice rises in a tone-deaf rendition of an old drinking song from his youth, changing some of the words for prime irritation.

“99 bottles of milk on the wall, 99 bottles of milk–”

The only outward appearance of Edward’s annoyance is the tapping of his fingers on the cover of the book he’s reading but Roy is a master of getting a rise out of Edward so he raises his voice, the song growing more boisterous, drumming his fingers over his knees.

“81 bottles of milk on the wall, 81 bottles of milk! Ohhh, take one down and pass it around, 80 bottles of milk on the wall!”

The tapping of Edward’s fingers quicken, the curve of his brow beginning to twitch in tandem but he still doesn’t say anything, merely turning another page, though he’s making less progress than he normally would. Only four pages for his normal thirty, Roy is definitely getting to him.

So, naturally, Roy keeps singing, all the way to, “20 bottles of milk on the wall, 20 bottles of milk! We take one down and pass it arou–mmph!”

He’s finally cut off by the book hitting him in the chest, followed immediately by the small blond who had been reading it. Edward straddles his lap, sinking his fingers in Roy’s messy hair, and kisses him roughly, nipping at his bottom lip. Roy returns the kiss eagerly, hands settling around Edward’s waist, holding him firm in his lap, savoring the weight of him.

Edward pulls back just far enough to growl, “Why are you so fuckin’ annoying, you stupid bastard–” and then he’s smashing their lips together again, panting against the heat of Roy’s mouth, “I was trying to behave–”

Ah, so Edward didn’t want to get caught making out on the train. Roy smirks, and he knows that Edward can feel the curve of it because he bites Roy’s lip again, and Roy moans, low and long as he rocks his hips up. There’s a knock on the door to their compartment and Edward jumps back to his seat before the door slides, leaving Roy blinking in bewilderment as Edward’s hair covers his face, though not the red tips of his ears.

“Your meal,” a cart is wheeled into the room, and Roy and Edward take their food trays meekly, acting like two teenagers caught by their parents, even though the worker doesn’t seem bothered by their red faces or their harried resettling.

“Thank you,” Roy manages and Edward nods his agreement, and the cart is pulled back out of the room. Roy cannot hold back his chuckling when a balled-up napkin hits him in the face. “That was not my fault, dear. You leaped on me.”

“To shut up that god-awful singing! You were giving me a migraine,” Edward pouts but it swiftly quirks into a small smile that he hides behind a piece of bread. “And milk?” Edward shudders, his disgust clearly visible on his face. “How vile.”

“Darling, if you don’t drink your milk, how do you ever expect to grow?” Roy ducks the fork thrown at him, the tines lodging in the cushioned seat behind him. “Now, now. I’m sure I can give you some special milk rich with protein to compensate,” he drawls and a different sort of shudder rolls through Edward’s body.

“First, fuck you. Second, milk is rich in calcium, you’re supposed to be brilliant,” Edward grumbles around a bite of steak. He chews for a moment and swallows, saying, “And also, maybe when we get to the hotel.”

It’s Roy’s turn to pout, shifting awkwardly in his seat. “Are you really going to make me wait another day before I can taste you again?”

“Roy!!” Edward flushes so prettily whenever Roy says anything suggestive, anything naughty, even after a year of dating, a year of Roy’s lovey pet names and flowery language. “Shut up and eat your food, you perv!”

“We both know you won’t be complaining when I finally get you alone,” Roy gives him another smirk and Edward scowls but the tips of his ears are bright red. “Eat your food, darling,” he says as he hands his fork back to him, all while Edward refuses to make eye contact and Roy chuckles again.

Hours pass in much the same fashion, heatless bickering that has Roy laughing and Edward embarrassed. Slowly, the train rolls into the sunset and then on into the inky darkness of the night, and still, Edward pays more attention to his book than to Roy.

“Edward, perhaps we should retire for the night?” he suggests and it’s only when Edward looks up at him with heavy lids that he realizes that Edward had not even noticed the falling night. “We do have several things planned before we arrive at the hotel tomorrow. We need our energy.”

“You still haven’t said what we’re doing,” Edward manages through a mighty yawn, finally setting aside the book, putting it safely away in his suitcase and then standing to place it in the storage bin over their head.

With a clap, Roy transmutes the bench into a bed, hardly big enough for the both of them but it certainly looks comfortable. Edward strips down to his underwear, jumping into the bed and burrowing into the thick blanket. He holds the edge up invitingly and how can Roy possibly resist him? Such a vision, with his golden hair falling in a heavy braid over his scarred shoulder and his skin, kissed by their recent days beneath the sun.

Edward looks so welcoming, so warm and sleepy, that Roy throws his clothes in a haphazard pile on the floor before slipping in alongside him, pulling Edward’s lithe body flush to his own, sighing with the pleasure of their bodies being united after a long day away.

“Sap,” Edward teases but he squirms until he lays half on top of Roy, his head resting comfortably on his chest, no doubt listening to the sound of his heart steadily thumping.

No sooner than he’s situated than Roy’s fingers are snagging on the leather cord holding his braid in place, carding through the plait until Edward’s hair hangs free over the warm expanse of his back. Edward echoes Roy’s earlier sigh, happy and content for this chance at a peaceful quiet, a moment that belongs only to them, as Roy combs through the wavy strands of gold. Edward’s fingers trail idly along Roy’s side, the touch thankfully too firm to tickle him.

With the soothing motion of his fingers and the repetitive beat of his heart under Edward’s ear, he’s already close to sleep. The sudden rush of joy throughout his body startles him but he’s proud and immeasurably pleased that his Edward feels safe enough to drift off here, held tightly in Roy’s arms. Too many of their nights have been shared with not only each other but also their ghosts, the memories of their past deeds haunting them long into the early hours of the morning.

“Mmm, Roy?”

Ah, Edward must have felt the quickening of his heart. “All is well, my love. I am just so overcome with happiness to have you here, in my life.” Edward snorts at his words but doesn’t protest, only wiggles his way closer, a mighty feat. His breath is warm on Roy’s chest, heating him all the way to the core and in the most delightful way. Roy buries his face into Edward’s hair, inhaling deeply, the scent of his shampoo filling his nostrils.

Edward’s lips feather over the sharp jut of Roy’s collarbones, so tenderly that tears sting at Roy’s eyes. Never in a million years would he have dreamed that he’d get to have something like this: a brilliant man curled up in his arms, one who never fails to show Roy how much he loves him, loudly and unabashedly with no shame. A great love story, straight out of the bedtime stories he only vaguely remembers his mother reading to him, along with the remnants of a lullaby.

Speaking of…

“You are my sunshine,” Roy croons, and Edward’s shoulders tremble with his laughter. “Shh you, let me serenade you.”

“What’s your fascination with kid’s songs,” Edward complains but his words lack fervor; he nestles his head right beneath Roy’s chin, all the better to feel his chest rumble when Roy continues to sing.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” his fingers play idly with Edward’s hair and sleepily, Edward begins to hum along with him. “You make me happy when skies are gray.”

Another sleepy kiss is pressed to his skin, right over the curve of his throat, Edward’s lips lingering over the warm flesh. They move in sync with Roy’s, Edward’s higher voice flowing perfectly around his own, “You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

“I’ll never leave you,” Roy swears, mouth moving over Edward’s forehead, a tender kiss of his own, and then he sings his love to sleep.

* * *

“What the hell is all this?” Edward says, his voice still rough with sleep, his suitcase clutched in one hand and Roy’s coat clutched in the other. He stares blearily at the town, all festooned in flowers and ribbons and carts selling a plethora of street foods. The scent of the food seems to instill some life within him, his golden eyes widening as he catches sight of them before he’s off, dragging Roy behind him. “Where are we? What kind of festival is this? Are we staying here? Let’s stay here, oh look! Bastard, look, they have games!”

Roy laughs helplessly, allowing his little lover to pull him through the crowd, watching him bemusedly as he stops at several different carts.

“Hey, bastard! You got the money?” Edward already has a skewer in his mouth, only a hint of food peeking past his lips.

“Of course, my love. Anything to fill that deceptively large stomach of yours,” he fishes out his wallet, dutifully paying for Edward’s snack, and then they’re off again.

Soon they come to their hotel, where they stop only long enough to check in and drop off their luggage, and then Edward is off again, his loose hair streaming in the wind. God but he’s so gorgeous, Roy could stare at him forever. Just not right now or else he’ll never catch up to him.

“Roy!” Edward slams to a halt, spinning to wrap an arm around Roy’s waist with a beaming smile. He tucks himself in against Roy, uncaring of their surroundings. “They have an area set up for dancing! Dance with me?”

As if Roy could ever deny him. Especially when he’s acting so much carefree than Roy has ever seen him, when he’s so brightfully happy that he’s damn near incandescent. “Absolutely, my sweet.”

Edward flushes at the endearment, as he always does, but he grins.

The dulcet strands of a slow song slide by on the breeze and Roy effortlessly leads Edward into a series of smooth steps, the blond leaning into his embrace as Roy sways him around the stone courtyard. The world may as well cease to exist, for all the attention they pay to their surroundings. Edward’s light eyelashes close, his faith in Roy so strong that he trusts Roy implicitly, trusts Roy to guide him in lazy circles without stepping on his automail foot or crashing them into any other dancers.

_Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin_   
_Dance me through the panic ‘til I’m gathered safely in_   
_Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove_   
_Dance me to the end of love_

Edward’s voice breaks through Roy’s mindless humming, muffled against Roy’s chest but clear enough that Roy can hear, “Have I ever told you how grateful I am that you decided we needed to take this trip, just the two of us?”

“A time or two but I never tire of hearing you tell me that I’m right,” Roy smirks, not that Edward can see it with his face pressed tight to Roy’s body. “Nor do I ever tire of hearing you sing my praises.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Edward says but then he adds, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy or free as I do right now.”

Their movements slow until they’re swaying in place and Roy grips Edward’s chin, so very gently, so that he can tip his head back, so that he can dip down to capture Edward’s lips with his own, mouth moving languidly against Edward’s. The blond sighs into him, hands sliding up to sink into Roy’s dark hair, twisting the black strands around his calloused fingers, until a catcall forces their lips to part with flushed cheeks and small, secretive smiles.

When the next refrain begins, Roy sings along with it, his cheek resting on the crown of Edward’s golden hair, their arms wrapped around each other.

_Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on_   
_Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long_   
_We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above_   
_Dance me to the end of love_   
_Dance me to the end of love_

“I love you,” Roy whispers and Edward’s voice softly echoes the sentiment, and they dance long into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the poem Wander Thirst by Gerald Gould  
> An excerpt:  
> BEYOND the East the sunrise, beyond the West the sea,  
> And East and West the wander-thirst that will not let me be;  
> It works in me like madness, dear, to bid me say good-bye;  
> For the seas call, and the stars call, and oh! the call of the sky!


End file.
